The Context: The Kariba Dam is the largest man-made reservoir in the world. At a height of 128m and with a crest length of 617m, the dam has the capacity of holding 181 billion cubic meters of water. ... Show More +Designed as a double curvature concrete arch dam, the Kariba Dam was constructed across the Zambezi River between 1956 and 1959. Commissioned in 1960, the Dam has been central to regional energy security and economic development ever since. The Kariba Reservoir supplies water to two underground hydropower stations with a total capacity of 1830MW generating more than 10,035 GWh of electricity annually. The North Bank Power Station is operated by ZESCO in Zambia and has an installed capacity of 1,080 MW. The South Bank Power Station is operated by ZPC in Zimbabwe and currently has an installed capacity of 750 MW, with projects underway to increase this to 1,050 MW.The Project: After more than 50 years of providing power for the Southern African Region, the Kariba Dam now requires a series of rehabilitation works for its continued safe operation. The program is to be implemented over the next ten years, taking into account the need to continue operating the dam safely with minimal interruptions to power generation.The works will include 1. reshaping of the plunge pool to limit scouring and erosion that could potentially undermine the dam foundations; and, 2. refurbishment of the spillway and associated infrastructure to improve the dam’s stability and operations.Environmental and Social Context: The two rehabilitation components include in situ works on existing infrastructure to secure operations in accordance with international dam safety standards. The rehabilitation measures are not expected to have any significant adverse environmental or social impacts, with any potential impacts likely to be temporary in nature.The bi-national Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) is undertaking the necessary Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, preparing an integrated Environmental and Social Management Plan, along with the associated instruments to ensure the sustainability of project through appropriate preventive, mitigation and monitoring interventions. These will be finalized in 2015 before the commencement of the works, which are themselves expected to be completed by 2019 and 2023 for the plunge pool and spillway components respectively.OrganizationFinancingZambezi River AuthorityUS$19.2 m-Africa Development BankUS$75 mLoan & GrantEuropean UnionUS$100 mGrantSwedish GovernmentUS$20 mGrantThe World Bank GroupUS$75 mLoan The Financing: The total cost of works of works is estimated at US$294 million. The Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe have mobilized financing from the African Development Bank, the European Union, the Government of Sweden, and the World Bank to support the ZRA in implementation of the project. Show Less -

In addition to the central role of water in Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector, water availability also has direct social and economic implications for other sectors such as health and energy. Energy prod... Show More +uction, which underpins most other production sectors, relies largely on the flow of the Zambezi River either for hydropower generation or for the cooling of thermal power stations. Industrial output from many agricultural processing industries also relies on power availability and on water for processing. Zimbabwe’s mining sector ultimately relies on water for both processing and electricity production, as well.Zimbabwe’s national strategy will mainstream an integrated response to climate change across all key economic sectors in order to minimize detrimental impacts and seize economic and social opportunities.Building resilience to climate related hazardsThe World Bank Group paper highlights how human-induced climate change is likely to intensify natural climate variability in Zimbabwe. Per capita water availability is forecast to fall by as much as 38 percent by 2050, even under a low population growth rate.“Zimbabwe will inevitably be affected by global warming and so must focus on adapting to these impacts before they seriously affect the country and its economy,” Zimbabwe Minister for Environment, Water and Climate Saviour Kusukuwere wrote in the preface to the report. “The technical assistance from the World Bank and other development partners in preparing this paper is highly appreciated.”While weather-related disasters strike rich and poor countries alike, they are often most crippling for smaller and lower-income countries that are least able to cope. Among the most vulnerable are some of Africa’s poorest nations. The social and economic impacts of these climate shocks can have severe consequences for development.The World Bank Group helps countries build resilience against weather-related disasters and find innovative solutions for protecting lives and livelihoods and decreasing losses and damages to public and private property and critical infrastructure. This year, the Bank Group is also focusing research and analysis on the effects of climate change on poverty and developing policy guidance and recommendations for governments to help populations get through climate shocks with more of their assets intact. Show Less -

One of the workshop attendees, Venance Bahati, Tax Audit and Analysis Manager at the Tanzanian Minerals Audit Agency said that “the course was very relevant to the Tanzania situation, especially on th... Show More +e issues of negotiation preparation skills and issues such as community aspects and fiscal items.”Technical training at the workshops focused on the contract negotiations process (including intergovernmental coordination, negotiations techniques) and the general terms and conditions related to mineral development agreements (including fiscal instruments, community development, and local content). Daye Kaba, Partner at Fasken Martineau law firm and an international expert in mining law and contract negotiations, presented at the workshop and emphasized that “building of capacity within governments not only enables countries to negotiate better agreements and have a better grasp of the implications of the agreements they enter into, but is also welcomed by mining companies as it facilitates the negotiation process.” These capacity building workshops were made possible by support from the World Bank Group through the Extractive Industries-Technical Advisory Facility (EI-TAF) trust fund, as well as the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF), the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), and the Sustainable Development Strategies Group (SDSG). Show Less -

Water is central to the Zimbabwean
economy, people's livelihoods and their social
well-being; its availability and reliability is a function
of highly variable clim... Show More +atic conditions. Irrigated
agriculture is the major water using sector while rain fed
agriculture depends on reliable rainfall. Agriculture not
only has links to other economic sectors such as industry,
but it is also important at household level because it
employs the majority of the population. Power production
which underpins most other production sectors depends to a
large part on the flow of the Zambezi River either for
hydropower generation or for the cooling of thermal power
stations. Even mining, a growth sector, ultimately relies on
water for both processing and electricity production. The
government of Zimbabwe has long recognized the threat from
climate change and joined the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 and acceded to
the Kyoto Protocol in 2009. It is currently preparing a
National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS) that is
intended to mainstream climate change thinking into all key
economic sectors and to bring about an integrated response
across all economic sectors. Zimbabwe strategy will largely
be based around adapting to the threats from climate change
so that detrimental economic and social impacts are
minimized and opportunities are seized. Given the
implications of climate change for the hydrological cycle
and the centrality of water to the economy and to social
well-being, water needs to be at the core of the NCCRS. This
Issues Paper, requested by the former Ministry of Water
Resources Development and Management as a recommendation of
the NWP, will contribute to the NCCRS by examining
opportunities for adaptation to climate change in the water
resources sector, using both structural and non-structural
measures. It uses models to provide preliminary estimates of
the possible impacts of climate change in 2050 and 2080 on
these water resources. A number of opportunities to adapt to
these impacts are discussed. Many of these adaptation
opportunities constitute no-regrets actions, in that they
are actions that are worth undertaking in their own right,
irrespective of the severity of impacts from climate change. Show Less -

WASHINGTON, December 9, 2014—The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$75 million IDA* Credit and US$25 million grant from the Government of Sweden to Zambia for the Kariba Dam... Show More + Rehabilitation Project. The project aims to assist the Zambezi River Authority in securing the long-term safety and reliability of the Kariba Dam Hydro-Electric Scheme.The Kariba Dam, built between 1956 and 1959 with support from IBRD, provides more than 50 percent of Zambia and Zimbabwe’s electricity, benefiting an estimated four and a half million people. During these six decades, the dam has been a key driver of regional growth and development and a major source of flood control and river flow management in the Zambezi River basin. The reservoir contributes to the regional economy and the surrounding area, supporting fisheries, tourism operations, irrigation for agriculture and drinking water for local towns and villages.The project, with total financing of $300 million, is being co-financed by the African Development Bank and the European Union and will help the Zambezi River Authority, which is responsible for the management of the Kariba Dam, to reshape the dam’s plunge pool and refurbish its spillway, as well as improve dam operations in order to bring it up to international safety standards.“Rehabilitation of the Kariba dam is an important component of the World Bank’s larger program for boosting the energy security of Southern Africa. There is much more to be done in reaching that goal, but today marks an important milestone in securing the Kariba dam for the coming decades,” said Makhtar Diop, the World Bank’s Vice President for Africa.“The Kariba Dam is woven into the social and economic lives of our two peoples. We remain strongly committed to our continued partnership in ensuring that the benefits of regional cooperation flow directly to the people of our countries. We welcome the World Bank’s and Government of Sweden’s financing for the urgently needed rehabilitation works at Kariba. Our top priority is to ensure the dam continues to meet international safety standards,” said Alexander Chikwanda, Minister of Finance of Zambia and Patrick Chinamasa, Minister of Finance of Zimbabwe.Cross-border energy trade made possible by the Kariba Dam Hydro-Electric Scheme is central to increasing access to electricity and lowering costs for millions of people. The project supports the development strategy of the Southern Africa Power Pool, a framework established in 1995 to provide regional solutions to electricity generation for the member states of the Southern Africa Development Community.“This project is a testimony to the power of perseverance and cooperation between governments and development partners and the World Bank is pleased to have played an important role in getting us here. We remain deeply committed to ensuring that the same spirit of cooperation remains the hallmark during project implementation,” said Kundhavi Kadiresan, World Bank Country Director for Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.The Zambezi River Authority has undertaken a series of studies and assessments to identify refurbishment of the spillway and reshaping of the plunge pool so that after nearly 60 years in operation, the Kariba Dam can continue to operate in accordance with international dam safety standards.“The Kariba Dam has been in operation for more than 50 years and the proposed interventions are well timed. This project represents best technical practices in complex dam rehabilitation and is designed to ensure that adequate attention is given to the environmental and social aspects during implementation as part of the broader program of support to ensuring sustainable, climate resilient development of water resources in the Zambezi River basin,” said Marcus Wishart, Senior Water Resources Specialist at the World Bank and Task Team Leader for the Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project.*The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 77 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change for 2.8 billion people living on less than $2 a day. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 112 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $18 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent going to Africa. Show Less -

This economy profile for Doing Business
2015 presents the 11 Doing Business indicators for Zimbabwe.
To allow for useful comparison, the profile also provides
data ... Show More +for other selected economies (comparator economies) for
each indicator. Doing Business 2015 is the 12th edition in a
series of annual reports measuring the regulations that
enhance business activity and those that constrain it.
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business; for
2015 Zimbabwe ranks 171. A high ease of doing business
ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive
to the starting and operation of a local firm. Doing
Business presents quantitative indicators on business
regulations and the protection of property rights that can
be compared across 189 economies from Afghanistan to
Zimbabwe and over time. Doing Business measures regulations
affecting 11 areas of the life of a business known as
indicators. Ten of these areas are included in this
year's ranking on the ease of doing business: starting
a business, dealing with construction permits, getting
electricity, registering property, getting credit,
protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across
borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency.
Doing Business also measures labor market regulation, which
is not included in this year's ranking. The data in
this report are current as of June 1, 2014 (except for the
paying taxes indicators, which cover the period from January
to December 2013). Show Less -

Water is central to the Zimbabwean
economy, people's livelihoods and their social
well-being; its availability and reliability is a function
of highly variable clim... Show More +atic conditions. Irrigated
agriculture is the major water using sector while rain fed
agriculture depends on reliable rainfall. Agriculture not
only has links to other economic sectors such as industry,
but it is also important at household level because it
employs the majority of the population. Power production
which underpins most other production sectors depends to a
large part on the flow of the Zambezi River either for
hydropower generation or for the cooling of thermal power
stations. Even mining, a growth sector, ultimately relies on
water for both processing and electricity production. The
government of Zimbabwe has long recognized the threat from
climate change and joined the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 and acceded to
the Kyoto Protocol in 2009. It is currently preparing a
National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS) that is
intended to mainstream climate change thinking into all key
economic sectors and to bring about an integrated response
across all economic sectors. Zimbabwe strategy will largely
be based around adapting to the threats from climate change
so that detrimental economic and social impacts are
minimized and opportunities are seized. Given the
implications of climate change for the hydrological cycle
and the centrality of water to the economy and to social
well-being, water needs to be at the core of the NCCRS. This
Issues Paper, requested by the former Ministry of Water
Resources Development and Management as a recommendation of
the NWP, will contribute to the NCCRS by examining
opportunities for adaptation to climate change in the water
resources sector, using both structural and non-structural
measures. It uses models to provide preliminary estimates of
the possible impacts of climate change in 2050 and 2080 on
these water resources. A number of opportunities to adapt to
these impacts are discussed. Many of these adaptation
opportunities constitute no-regrets actions, in that they
are actions that are worth undertaking in their own right,
irrespective of the severity of impacts from climate change. Show Less -

HARARE, August 21, 2014 – Supplying safe, clean water has long been a challenge for the country’s growing population. More than 4,000 people lost their lives during an outbreak of cholera in 2008 – 20... Show More +09, and thousands more were affected throughout the country, including small towns like Beitbridge, which reported 26% of cases. Even in the major cities of Harare, Bulawayo and Gweru, dilapidated infrastructure made service delivery difficult. Alarmed by deaths from water-borne diseases, international organizations such as the World Bank Group (WBG) stepped in to help save lives and create life-saving institutions.There still remains a risk of water-borne disease outbreaks as a number of deaths related to dysentery, diarrhoea and others have recently been reported. In Harare, the challenges are compounded by losses through leakages of more than 40% of treated water due to antiquated and dilapidated equipment and water distribution system.In transiting from emergency through early recovery to sustained growth, the WBG has put greater emphasis in creating sustainable institutions and the use of country systems. In addition to the Analytical and Advisory Assistance support provided to government ministries, departments and support partners, the WBG supported $2.65 million Emergency Water and Sanitation Rehabilitation Programme in Beitbridge Town. The program succeeded in improving water access from zero to 70%, and built engineering capacity within Beitbridge Town to deliver services. To re-establish urban water and sanitation utility viability nationally and enhance efficiency in revenue collection and effective prioritization of interventions, the WBG is supporting, in a participatory manner, a water and sanitation service-level benchmarking exercise.This service-level benchmarking draws from the WBG’s international experiences, customizing for Zimbabwe without compromising the value and quality of data. It focuses on the 32 urban local authorities in the country, which range in size from 5,000 people to up to three million, and tracks service delivery performance over time. The service-level benchmarking enables these local authorities to tell success from failure, allow for learning and acts as a self-regulation tool that enhances transparency and accountability.For example, in India, the WBG’s Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) noted that “by providing an opportunity for introspection and self-improvement benchmarking will improve service delivery efficiency and quality, strengthen accountability, bring in greater transparency, help in optimal resource allocation and prioritization of activities, and therefore becomes highly relevant in view of rising customer expectations, demands for more efficient performance and ever increasing quality standards.” For Zimbabwe, where the demands far outstrip available resources and customers have strong memory of high standards of services in the recent past, regular self-introspection, transparency and accountability enhances good governance, trust and confidence of citizens in country led structures and systems; a key objective for the country to transition out of fragility.The Service-Level Benchmarking (SLB) ProcessThe benchmarking project began in August 2012, with the development of the data collection tools and the adoption of key indicators and their definitions. This was done in participatory workshops that included town engineers, town treasurers, planners, city health officers, government officials and representatives of water and sanitation sector funding agencies, including the WSP, the African Development Bank (AfDB), GIZ and UNICEF. The first such workshop, attended by more than110 participants produced three questionnaires, one each for water supply, wastewater and solid waste management, each with nine-to-10 indicators and a reliability score against which the quality of data was to be assessed (depending on whether the data was estimated or based on actual measurements or from sample survey). In 2013, the questionnaires were filled in by urban local authorities’ staff and then rigorously validated (by show of evidence) during workshops attended by a national team led by the ministry responsible for the local government, the ministry responsible for water, the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ), the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), the University of Zimbabwe and the WSP. Support partners, including AfDB, GIZ and UNICEF assisted in reviewing, triangulating and improving the collected data. Further field workshops were held with stakeholders to ensure buy-in and also verify evidence provided by local authorities, before a baseline report was finally produced based on 2012 data. To enhance horizontal learning and foster full ownership of the process, the WBG supported the creation, by local authorities, of multi-disciplinary peer review teams based on the four clusters of urban local authority categories in Zimbabwe; local boards, town councils, municipalities and cities.The major challenges that the SLB is highlighting for attention includes poor property stock records, weak customer care, high non-revenue water, low revenue collection efficiency, low coverage, low investments in maintenance, low capacity, demand outstripping supply, poor quality data for management and decision making, poor services, and high levels of pollution. The Minister of Local Government Public Works and National Housing, Dr Ignatius Chombo, in his address to the Accolades Giving Ceremony of Local Authorities, at which WBG was represented, noted that the SLB, “was providing a basis for assessing the performance of local authorities; giving justification for rewarding well performing local authorities, while framing incentives for those that struggle.” He also noted the synergy between this WBG support and the UNDP Capacity Building Support Programme to Zimbabwe local authorities.As the SLB continues to be institutionalised in local authorities, the WBG will continue to support the analysis and sharing of the data, capacity building, the development of knowledge products and the advocacy to ensure that the bottom 40% of the poor benefit from efficiently prioritised local and external investments and water and sanitation services do reach them. Evidence-based data collection that resides within urban local authorities is made available for future sector regulators and developing partners and the WBG continues to provide linkages with other institutions involved with SLB regionally and globally by strengthening the gains made so far, which include:Councils and ZINWA now have a better understanding of the status of their Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services and are able to peg themselves against peersData on property stock has improved and this will plug off revenue losses due to underhand activities in the systemAsset accounting and management has improved, standardised and strengthenedBudgeting systems have improved through rational cost build up in tariffsThere is more transparency on the operations of councils as most council utility data is now readily availableResearch and teaching can now improve on local authority management as the academia were involved in the SLB processesKnowledge products are being developed and these will improve policy and decision making Show Less -

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2014 - The World Bank Group committed a record-breaking *$15.3 billion to Sub Saharan Africa’s development in fiscal year 2014 (July 2013 to June 2014) supporting shared prosperity... Show More + in the Region and focusing on increased efforts to reduce poverty.“Africa is making significant progress and at the World Bank we are stepping up the momentum to innovate and think big in order to help our clients achieve their development goals. We applaud the improved policies and prudent fiscal decisions many governments have made and we will continue to provide financing through loans and grants, technical expertise and to mobilize our unique convening power to leverage the resources of other development partners,” said Makhtar Diop, World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region.The Bank Group continued its strong commitment to Africa delivering $10.6 billion in new lending for 160 projects this fiscal year (FY14). These commitments included a new record of $10.2 billion in zero-interest credits and grants from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries. This is the highest level of IDA delivery by any region in the World Bank’s history.Private Sector-Led Growth and Job CreationIFC's work in the private sector in Africa during FY14 focused on bridging the infrastructure gap, promoting a productive real sector and leading inclusive business approaches to help drive growth and job creation. IFC investments on the continent amounted to over $4.2 billion, with over $3 billion committed in IDA countries and almost $800 million in fragile and conflict-affected states. IFC spent $55 million on Advisory Services programs in the region, 96 percent of which was distributed to IDA countries.In FY 2014, MIGA issued guarantees of $515 million in support of projects in the oil and gas, power, services, and telecommunications sectors. The Agency also teamed up with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to establish a $350-million political risk facility that will support planned investments in sustainable agribusiness in up to 13 countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The Bank Group worked collaboratively to tackle development challenges and focused on regional projects in sustainable energy, irrigation, water management, and food security, and also on job training programs for youth, preventing malaria and other tropical diseases, and on social protection for poor families across the region. Fragility and Emergency ActionIn FY14, the Bank Group focused its efforts to act quickly and effectively in emergency situations across Africa. In response to the crisis in Central African Republic, the Bank delivered emergency development funds of over US$70 million to help restore key government services and to support food distribution and health services.Major regional initiatives focused on the challenges of fragility and conflict. In November 2013, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim pledged $1.5 billion to boost economic growth and lift the people of Africa’s Sahel Region out of devastating poverty. Kim’s pledge came during an historic joint trip to the Sahel with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Boosting EnergySub-Saharan Africa is blessed with large hydropower resources that can create electricity, yet only 10% of its potential has been harnessed. Boosting access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy is a primary objective of the Bank’s work in Africa. During the fiscal year (FY14) projects focused on developing hydropower potential and providing new forms of sustainable power to increase energy production and benefit millions of Africans.In a major push, IBRD, IFC, and MIGA combined forces under a joint Energy Business Plan for Nigeria. The plan will support Nigeria’s energy reform program and help increase installed generation capacity by about 1,000 MW while mobilizing nearly $1.7 billion of private sector financing for Africa’s largest economy. Many projects benefit from IBRD, IFC, and MIGA working together across the World Bank Group to better leverage their development impact in the region.In FY14, the Bank also supported the 80-megawatt Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project in Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania, and provided a $100-million grant to Burundi for the Jiji-Mulembwe hydropower project. Both initiatives will increase electricity generation capacity benefitting millions of Africans.Improving Agricultural ProductivityThe Bank supports country-led efforts to improve agricultural productivity by linking farmers to markets and reducing risk and vulnerability; increase rural employment; and make agriculture more environmentally sustainable. Projects during FY14 included support for improving pastoralism through community development and livelihoods in Ethiopia, boosting agribusiness in Senegal, and pushing the envelope on landscape management, notably in the Sahel.Higher Education for DevelopmentHigher education plays a key role in promoting economic growth and development especially for Africa’s fastest growing youth population. As one of the largest financiers of higher education in the region, the World Bank is mobilizing its knowledge and leadership behind countries to champion education. The World Bank’s new $150-million Africa Higher-Education Centers of Excellence project is funding 19 university-based centers for advanced education in West and Central Africa. It will support regional specialization among participating universities in mathematics, science, engineering and ICT to address regional challenges.For more information about the World Bank Group's total support to developing countries in FY14 click here. *Preliminary and unaudited numbers as of July 7 Show Less -

IDA Grant from Cooperation in International Waters in Africa Trust Fund: US $6.0 million equivalentProject ID: P133380Project Description: The objective of the project is to advance preparation o... Show More +f the Batoka Gorge hydro-electric scheme (HES) and strengthen cooperative development within the Zambezi river basin. Show Less -

GEF Grant: US $5.645 million equivalentProject ID: P124625Project Description: The objective of the project is to develop land use and resource management capacity of managers and communities in ... Show More +the Hwange-Sanyati Biological Corridor. Show Less -

The Zambezi River Basin (ZRB) is shared by eight countries: Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In addition to meeting the basic needs of more than 30 millio... Show More +n people and playing a central role in the riparian economies, the river sustains a rich and diverse natural environment. The ZRB has been the subject of a long history of sustained efforts to foster cooperative development. While there has been little investment in the ZRB over the last 30 years, sustained economic growth above 6 percent in many of the riparian states is providing new opportunities and increasing development pressure on the basin’s resources. More than US$16 billion worth of investments have been identified at the pre-feasibility or feasibility stage of preparation, and the combined GDP among the ZRB riparian states is estimated at over US$100 billion. Despite the increasing prosperity in the region, poverty is persistent across the basin and income inequality in some states is among the highest in the world. Reflecting the dual nature of the regional economy, new investments in large infrastructure co-exist alongside a parallel subsistence economy that is reliant upon environmental services provided by the river. The challenge in the ZRB is to promote cooperative development and management of international waters in a way that drives sustainable economic growth and improves the livelihoods of the populations that critically depend on the sustainable use and management of shared waters.The CIWA Zambezi River Basin Program has been envisaged as a long-term engagement consisting of a series of programs, each with different projects at various levels (at the country level, among sub-regional clusters, across the basin) and across different sectors within the basin. The program will utilize a mix of instruments, including continuing dialogue, analytical work and technical assistance, investment preparation, and infrastructure financing. The first phase of the program has two recipient partners: the ZAMCOM Secretariat and the ZRA. Projects 1. Zambezi River Basin Management ProjectProject Objective: To strengthen the Zambezi Watercourse Commission’s role in promoting cooperative management and development in the Zambezi River Basin through institutional strengthening, improved information sharing and decision support, and strategic planning.Partner: ZAMCOM Secretariat. ZAMCOM was established to promote the equitable and reasonable utilization of the water resources of the Zambezi Watercourse, as well as the efficient management and sustainable development thereof. The Agreement was signed on July 13, 2004 by seven of the eight riparian states— Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zimbabwe—and came into force on June 26, 2011 after six of the eight riparian countries completed their ratification processes. Zambia acceded to the agreement in July, 2013 while Malawi, who signed on July 13, 2004, has not yet ratified. The riparian states established an Interim ZAMCOM Secretariat (IZS) in May 2011. The IZS is hosted by the Government of Botswana in Gaborone and is working with the riparian states to operationalize the ZAMCOM Agreement and ZAMCOM Work Plan.Key Expected Results:Permanent ZAMCOM Secretariat legally established with functions defined in the ZAMCOM AgreementPlan for financial sustainability based on member state contributionsBasin-wide Master Plan developedFlood-forecasting and early warning system developedZambezi Water Information System enhanced 2. Zambezi River Basin Development ProjectProject Objective: To advance preparation of the Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Scheme and strengthen cooperative development within the Zambezi River Basin.Partner: Zambezi River Authority (ZRA). The ZRA was established in 1987 through legislation that established joint ownership by the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe in equal proportions. The ZRA is governed by a Council of Ministers consisting of four members, including the Ministers holding portfolios of energy and finance in each country. The primary functions of the Authority are to operate, monitor, and maintain the Kariba Complex; identify, and at the approval of the council, construct, operate, monitor, and maintain any other dams on the Zambezi River; liaise with the National Electricity Undertakings in activities that affect the generation and transmission of electricity; and make recommendations to the Council to ensure the effective and efficient use of the waters and other resources of the Zambezi River.Key Expected Results:Updated feasibility study for the Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric SchemeEnvironmental and Social Assessment for the Batoka Gorge SchemeImproved safety of the existing Kariba hydropower complex with completion of dam break analysisLegal review of governance and organizational oversight completedOptions developed for future role of ZRA in the Zambezi basin Show Less -

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are on track to help relieve 39 countries of approximately US$114 billion in debt through two programs designed to help poor nations free up resour... Show More +ces for domestic poverty-alleviation, according to an annual report released this month. These initiatives, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (the MDRI), have delivered an estimated $96 billion in debt relief, and have arranged for creditors to commit to the remainder.To date, 35 countries – 30 of them in Africa – have received the full amount of debt-relief for which they are eligible through HIPC and MDRI. Chad is a current participant and is expected to graduate from the initiative by the end of 2014. Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan are potentially eligible for debt relief, and Somalia and Sudan are actively working to qualify. Show Less -

HARARE, Zimbabwe, November 18, 2013 – Zimbabwe’s effort to restore and improve lifesaving health services for mothers and children in rural areas is achieving promising results. Thanks to Government l... Show More +eadership and the encouraging outcomes, new funding of USD $20 million from the Health Results Innovation Trust Fund (HRITF) – the World Bank’s vehicle for Results-Based Financing (RBF) – has been approved which will help the ongoing Health Sector Development Support (HSDP) Project extend its implementation period as well as expand its coverage to poor families living in urban areas in Harare and Bulawayo. RBF helps to accelerate progress on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 related to maternal and child health.Since its approval in March 2011 and an initial grant of USD $15 million, the HSDP has been operating in 18 rural districts, covering a population of approximately 3.5 million. With its strong focus on tangible results, the project pays health centers and district hospitals according to their levels of performance in delivering a well-defined package of maternal and child health services. Such performances in both quantity and quality are independently verified before payments are made. User fees are waived for 16 maternal and child health services at primary care (rural health center) level and for 5 referral services at the secondary care (hospital) level. According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care records, between 2011 and 2013, the number of new outpatient visits to health centers in districts covered by the project went up by more than 90 percent, from 151,000 to over 292,000, compared to only 16 percent increase from 133,000 to 187,000 in comparison districts where HSDP is not implemented.The number of normal deliveries supported by the project increased by 40 percent, from 2,300 in March 2012 to nearly 3,200 in June 2013. During the same period, number of women receiving at least four ante-natal checkups increased more than threefold, from 3,100 to 9,670. Number of women receiving at least two post-natal checkups also increased from 1,240 to 5,300. These significant improvements contribute to the Government’s objective of promoting reproductive health and prevent untimely and avoidable losses of life, income, and productivity in the country’s poorest households.“The immediate objective of this grant is to help reduce Zimbabwe’s tragically high rates of maternal and child mortality and to bring good quality service-oriented healthcare within the reach of poor families,” said Nginya Mungai Lenneiye, World Bank Country Manager for Zimbabwe. “In the long run, the health and survival of mothers and children are critical factors to the social and economic progress of any country.”With the new funding, the project now aims to provide 93,000 more pregnant women with four or more ante-natal care visits, nearly doubling its targeted coverage, and to fully immunize 33,500 more children."This is a very important program for the community, more so for mothers and children who can now access health care from the rural health center to the provincial hospital at no extra cost,” said Clever Gohori, Chiparawe, Health Center Committee (HCC) Chairperson. “We wish that the program will continue and expand its services to respond to the health needs of a larger community."Community participation and local level planning are core components of Zimbabwe’s HSDP, with the HCC working closely with health facilities to ensure that the community’s voice is heard in the decision-making process and health service delivery.As part of its expansion into urban areas HSDP will use vouchers to help poor families access essential mother-and-child services. It will also adopt the same performance-based approach that is delivering results in the rural areas.“Access to maternal and child health has been a challenge in Zimbabwe, partly because poor families could not afford to pay the out-of-pocket costs for services,” said Olusoji Adeyi, World Bank Sector Manager for Health, Nutrition and Population for Eastern and Southern Africa. “ This program is reducing the high cost of health services, which is a barrier to access, expanding the use of essential health services and improving the quality of those services.” The World Bank’s HRITF is supported by the United Kingdom and Norway. Under the technical and policy guidance of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care and technical support from the World Bank, the implementing agency for the project is Cordaid—a non-governmental organization with global and regional experience in managing results-based activities in the health sector.Across Sub-Saharan Africa, many countries—including Rwanda, Burundi, Nigeria and Kenya, to name just a few—are shifting their foci from inputs to health results by rewarding health facilities for performance and motivating health workers. This trend is showing encouraging results and making a real difference to people across the continent. Show Less -

This economy profile presents the Doing
Business indicators for Zimbabwe. In a series of annual
reports, Doing Business assesses regulations affecting
domestic firm... Show More +s in 189 economies and ranks the economies in
10 areas of business regulation, such as starting a
business, resolving insolvency and trading across borders.
This year's report data cover regulations measured from
June 2012 through May 2013. The report is the 11th edition
of the Doing Business series. Show Less -

LUSAKA, September 30, 2013 - The Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme is a project that was originally conceived as part of a cascade with the original Kariba Dam complex completed in 1961 between Zambi... Show More +a and Zimbabwe. A feasibility study for a dam and two hydropower plants was conducted in 1992. The generation capacity of the two plants totaled 1600 MW. The total cost at the time was projected at US$2.5 billion.A disagreement over a financial debt between Zambia and Zimbabwe on the original Kariba dam stalled the development of the Batoka scheme. The losses from the delay of this project have been estimated at US$700 million annually or US$7 billion since the original planned commission date of 2002.CIWA facilitated a high-level political process between Ministers from Zambia and Zimbabwe to try and resolve the impasse. This process included analytical work on the financial and economic implications of the impasse as well as options for moving forward. Leveraging the World Bank’s pre-existing relationships with key officials, CIWA initiated a meeting of the Zambezi River Authority Council of Ministers. This meeting led to an agreement to break the impasse and move forward with development of Bakota Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme.CIWA is supporting the Zambezi River Authority to update to the feasibility study to enable this project to move forward and generate shared benefits for both Zambia and Zimbabwe. Show Less -

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2013 - The World Bank Group committed a record US$14.7 billion in fiscal year 2013 (July 2012 to June 2013) to support economic growth and better development prospects in Africa d... Show More +espite uncertain economic conditions in the rest of the global economy.“The region has shown remarkable resilience in the face of a global recession and continues to grow strongly,” said Makhtar Diop, World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region. “Africa is at the center of the World Bank Group 2030 goals of ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity, in an environmentally, socially, and fiscally sustainable manner.”The World Bank Group continued its strong commitment to Africa approving $8.25 billion in new lendng for nearly 100 projects this fiscal year (FY13). These commitments include a record $8.2 billion in zero-interest credits and grants from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries. This is the highest level of new IDA commitments by any region in the Bank’s history. Private sector leverages development investment IFC’s total commitment volume in Sub-Saharan Africa, including mobilization, grew to a record $5.3 billion, 34 percent more than the year before. Similarly, IFC’s spending on Advisory Services programs in the region increased to more than $65 million, about 30 percent of IFC’s total. This led to increased results in fragile and conflict states and greater impact in IFC’s primary areas of focus: sustainable farming opportunities, access to finance for microfinance clients and individuals, improved infrastructure services, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions.﻿Supporting developmentally beneficial foreign direct investment into Sub-Saharan Africa is a priority for MIGA. In 2013, the Agency issued $1.5 billion in guarantees supporting investments into projects in the agribusiness, oil and gas, power, services, and water sectors. A significant volume of this coverage is for investments in power generation projects in Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, and Kenya. Sub-Saharan African accounted for 54 percent of MIGA’s new volume this year -- more than doubling last year’s level of 24 percent.The Bank Group’s support focused on major transformational projects in agriculture and power, and also on social safety nets, conditional cash transfers for poor families, job creation programs for young people, and higher education. Stepping Up the Game in Fragile CountriesIn FY13, the World Bank Group increased its focus in Africa on regional drivers of fragility and conflict, especially regarding the Sahel and the Great Lakes regions. In May 2013, during an historic joint United Nations/World Bank Group mission to the Great Lakes, the Bank announced a $1 billion development pledge to help countries in the region provide better health and education services, generate more cross-border trade, and fund hydroelectricity projects in support of the Great Lakes peace agreement. Sending the strong message that peace and development are inseparable and must be addressed together and also emphasizing the Bank’s commitment to increase its work in states emerging from conflict and its determination to help lift fragile states out of fragility and back on a positive development track. Addressing Climate ChangeThe Bank has been at the forefront of identifying operational measures and partnerships (such as TerrAfrica) to integrate climate change in land management, water resource management, transport infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, and disaster risk management and continues to advance innovative policy solutions, including through the first climate change Development Policy Loan, for Mozambique.Climate change is also at the center of the growth agenda of the Region. Clean energy projects -- in hydro, geothermal, solar, and gas -- are part of the Bank’s Africa strategy to limit the carbon footprint of growth in the region and harvest enormous untapped potential for development. Many of these current and planned projects benefit from IDA, MIGA, and IFC working together across the World Bank Group to better leverage their development investments in the region. Accelerating the Use of Science and TechnologyAfrica’s future depends on adapting existing and future technology more rapidly. Large productivity gains are possible through better training of Africans in science and technology, and enhanced agricultural technology. During FY13 the Bank helped to bring higher education, with an emphasis on science, back into the development agenda. African economies urgently need highly skilled technicians and engineers, especially for energy and infrastructure. They need agricultural scientists; medical workers; and researchers. Quality learning outcomes in primary and secondary education require qualified teachers that only universities can develop. The Bank continued to build partnerships to support technological education. For more information about the World Bank Group's total support to developing countries in FY13 click here. Show Less -

NAIROBI, June 26, 2013 - The latest World Bank review of policies and institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa shows an overall stable environment for growth and poverty reduction despite divergence across ... Show More +countries. The review is part of the annual World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) that rates the performance of poor countries. Since 1980, CPIA ratings have been used to determine countries’ allocation of zero-interest financing under the International Development Association,* the World Bank Group’s fund for the world’s poorest countries.The scores of 11 countries rose by 0.1 points or more, reflecting a strengthened policy agenda, and the indexes of another 12 countries declined by at least 0.1 points. Cape Verde and Kenya had the highest scores, although Cape Verde saw a decline in its CPIA for the third year in a row. South Sudan and Eritrea—both countries that suffer deep policy challenges—had the lowest scores. Countries recovering from conflict—such as Cote d’Ivoire and Comoros—have shown solid improvement. On the contrary, conflict and political instability have weakened policies and institutions.The CPIA examines 16 key development indicators covering four areas: (i) economic management, (ii) structural reforms; (iii) policies for social inclusion and equity; and (iv) public sector management and institutions. Countries are rated on a scale of 1 (low) to 6 (high) for each indicator. The overall CPIA score reflects the average of the 16 indicators.“African countries with better policies tend to have higher economic growth,” says Punam Chuhan-Pole, Acting Chief Economist, World Bank, Africa Region and main author of the report. “But a redoubling of effort is needed to translate this growth into broad welfare gains.” There is variation between the CPIA scores of different country groupings. For example, poor governance, weak public sector capacity, and civil conflict have reduced the average scores for African fragile states to 2.7—well below the 3.5 average score for non-fragile countries. Similarly, the region’s resource-rich countries, which have an average CPIA score of 3.0, continue to lag its non-resource counterparts, which averaged 3.2 for 2012. “Conflict and instability can greatly affect the policy gains of non-fragile states as well,” added Chuhan-Pole. “For example, Madagascar has seen its scores slip in the last two years following a political crisis, and the same has happened in Mali as a result of conflict and political instability.”As was the case last year, scores are higher in the area of economic management across countries. This pattern reflects the consensus among African policy makers that macroeconomic stability can facilitate the emergence of a productive private sector. It also reflects the fact that managing macroeconomic policy is not as politically-charged as changing institutions (such as the judicial system).The upward trend of scores assessing social reforms shows that they are taking hold in Sub-Saharan Africa. Governance scores, which cover the quality of public sector management and institutions of accountability, continue to lag all other areas assessed by the CPIA, reflecting the deep-rooted challenges facing African countries in this important area. * The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing zero-interest credits, and grants, for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 81 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 108 countries. Annual commitments have increased steadily and averaged about $15 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent of commitments going to Africa. Show Less -

WASHINGTON, April 15, 2013 – Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is likely to reach more than 5 percent on average in 2013-2015 as a result of high commodity prices worldwide and strong consume... Show More +r spending on the continent, ensuring that the region remains amongst the fastest growing in the world -- according to the World Bank’s latest Africa’s Pulse, a twice-yearly analysis of the issues shaping Africa’s economic prospects. In 2012, about a quarter of African countries grew at 7 percent or higher and a number of African countries, notably Sierra Leone, Niger, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Rwanda, are among the fastest growing in the world. The new World Bank report forecasts that medium-term growth prospects remain strong and will be supported by a gradually improving world economy, consistently high commodity prices, and more investment in regional infrastructure, trade, and business growth. Welcoming the new assessment that Africa continues to grow faster than the global average, the World Bank’s Vice President called on the need for faster progress in areas such as electricity and food in the vulnerable areas of The Sahel and the Horn of Africa, and that significantly more energy and agricultural productivity were needed to raise the quality of life for Africans throughout the continent and reduce poverty significantly. “African countries will need to bring more electricity, nutritious food, jobs and opportunity to families and communities across the continent in order to better their lives, end extreme poverty, and promote shared prosperity,” said the World Bank’s Africa Vice President Makhtar Diop. “Without more electricity and higher agricultural productivity, Africa’s development future cannot prosper. The good news is that governments in Africa are intent on changing this.”Diop also urged African governments and their development partners to upgrade the continent’s statistical capacity so that citizens could better measure and monitor their development progress and analyze the reasons for its success and failure, especially in resource-rich countries and fragile states, where data gathering and analysis remained weak. New mineral discoveries drive growthAfrica’s Pulse says that recent discoveries of oil, natural gas, copper, and other strategic minerals, and the expansion of several mines or the building of new ones in Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Zambia, together with better political and economic governance, were sustaining solid economic growth across the continent. Looking forward, it is expected that by 2020, only four or five countries in the region will not be involved in mineral exploitation of some kind, such is Africa’s abundance of natural resources.The World Bank says that given the considerable amounts of new mineral revenues coming on stream across the region, resource-rich African countries will consciously need to invest these new earnings in better health, education, and jobs, and less poverty for their people in order to maximize their national development prospects. Consumer spending and private investment upConsumer spending, which accounts for more than 60 percent of Africa’s GDP, remained strong in 2012. This trend was driven by declining inflation, which fell from 9.5 percent in January 2012 to 7.6 percent in December 2012; improved access to credit, for example in Angola, Ghana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia; lower interest rates--for every interest rate hike there were three cuts; and a rebound in agricultural incomes, thanks to more favorable weather conditions in countries such as Guinea, Mauritania and Niger, which all experienced better rains compared with the 2010/2011 crop year; and the steady remittance inflows, which are estimated at $31 billion in 2012 and 2011. Increased investment flows are supporting the region’s growth performance. In 2012, for example, net private capital flows to the region increased by 3.3 percent to a record $54.5 billion; and foreign direct investment inflows to the region increased by 5.5 percent in 2012 to $37.7 billion.Africa’s Pulse notes that exports are also driving the continent’s growth and that the traditional destination of these goods over the last decade is changing as well. Since 2000, the overall growth of Sub-Saharan exports to emerging markets, including those of China, Brazil and India, and to countries in the region has surpassed that to developed markets. Total exports to Brazil, India and China were larger than to the EU market in 2011.Africa’s impressive growth has not reduced poverty enoughAfter more than a decade of strong economic growth, the World Bank says that Africa has been able to cut poverty on the continent, but not by enough.“While the broad picture emerging from the data is that Africa’s economies have been expanding robustly and that poverty is coming down, the aggregate hides a great deal of diversity in performance, even among Africa’s faster growers,” says Shanta Devarajan, the World Bank’s Chief Economist for Africa, and lead author of the new report.Devarajan adds that during the second half of the 2000s, Ethiopia and Rwanda saw their economies expand at 8-10 percent (or between 5 and 8 percent per capita), which resulted in a 1.3 to 1.7 percentage point yearly fall in their national poverty rates. In contrast, poverty reduction in some other countries has lagged far behind growth.Future offers prospects of more growth, much less poverty, and shared prosperity Africa’s Pulse suggests that a number of emerging trends on the continent could help to transform its current state of development over the coming years. These include the promise of large revenues from mineral exploitation, rising incomes created by a dramatic expansion of agricultural productivity, the large-scale migration of people from the countryside into Africa’s towns and cities, and a demographic dividend potentially created by Africa’s fast-growing population of young people. “If properly harnessed to unleash their full potential, these trends hold the promise of more growth, much less poverty, and accelerating shared prosperity for African countries in the foreseeable future,” says Punam Chuhan-Pole, a co-author of the Africa’s Pulse and a Lead Economist in the World Bank’s Africa region. Show Less -

BANK CONTRIBUTIONThe World Bank has committed to increasing the scope of its results-based financing programs by more than US$600 million focused on 35 countries, particularly in East Asia, South Asia... Show More +, and Sub-Saharan Africa.PARTNERSThe HRITF is funded by the governments of the United Kingdom and Norway, which have committed US$550 million to the trust fund through 2022. Other partners are recognizing the impact of HRITF-supported programs and are pooling additional resources for results-based financing:In Benin, agreements with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and Belgium have led to a tripling of the available funding for results-based financing (about US$80 million).In addition to IDA, results-based financing in Burundi is co-financed by the government, the European Union, Belgium, Switzerland, GAVI, Italian Cooperation, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and several NGOs including Cordaid, Pathfinder, and Japan International Volunteer Center.In Rwanda and Zambia, organizations supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) purchased HIV indicators and services through the results-based financing approach.This highlights how different donors might pay for particular services to support results-based financing in different countries.MOVING FORWARDThe Bank continues to focus on results-based health lending and is using the resources of the HRITF to leverage additional IDA resources. At the same time, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is continuing its backing for results-based financing in middle-income countries. Show Less -